Solo Gaming Links

Luckily for me, I share my section of the board game community with some really awesome people. There are so many interesting and thoughtful solo gamers out there, and this page is here to help you find them! Browse the links below to discover blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels that help to spread the love of solo gaming.

Also, if I missed someone, feel free to contact me and let me know!

Blogs

Both Sides of My Table Run by delightfully quirky British gamer Giles Pound, BSoMT documents Giles's experiences playing... well... both sides of his gaming table!

Cardboard Clash Written reviews of games for either one or two players. It's mostly focused on the two-player experience, but there are also solo reviews.

Le Comboteur Fou A French blog about solo gaming, written by none other than Razoupaf from the 1 Player Guild. If you read French, enjoy! His reviews are some of the most thorough and deeply-considered ones out there. ​Hall of Beorn Amazing blog dedicated specifically to the Lord of the Rings LCG from Fantasy Flight.

Jambalaya Plays Games Jeremy Howard is a gamer of all trades—hence the name of his site. But he definitely knows the joys of solo gaming, and offers insightful commentary about his favorite solo games.

Lonesome Gamer He's more famed for his YouTube channel, but Lonesome Gamer (aka callasmar) also posts to a blog occasionally!

Singlehandedly A solo blog by Wendy Barlow. She reviews both solo games and what she's playing with her daughter, Emmy.

Thematic Solitaires for the Spare Time Challenged This is Morten Monrad Pedersen's blog. He's the designer of solo modes for a number of games you know and love, like Viticulture, Scythe, and Gaia Project. If you want some insight into the workings of the Automa Factory, this is your blog.

We Roll Solo Dedicated to solo game reviews and discussion of Kickstarter campaigns.

Podcasts

1-Player Podcast Hosted by Albert and Julius from the 1-Player Guild on BoardGameGeek, this podcast is a great way to hear interviews, news, and thoughts about solo board games. This one is a staple during my morning commute to work!

Co-Op Cast In this excellent podcast, your hosts, Peter and Michael, take a cooperative game and give it a good, thorough analysis. They then follow up with a more general design discussion that always leaves me feeling thoughtful about the games I've been playing. Definitely give them a listen!

Every Night is Game Night Formerly known as "Table for One," this podcast is an excellent source for solo gaming news and reviews. The hosts, Anthony and Jason, also include incisive discussions of topics relevant to solo gamers. The Kickstarter preview series is also very helpful when you're trying to decide which projects to back.

Low Player Count Low Player Count is dedicated to 1–2 player board games and their place in the gaming community. Donny, Shawn, and Travis are fun to listen to, and tend to have interesting discussions about broader topics within gaming.

One Stop Co-Op Shop The excellent YouTube channel has now branched out into podcasting. Give them a listen!

Our Turn! Women on Gaming While Our Turn! has a number of different segments and is not strictly about solo gaming, Frank Vicari routinely contributes segments about solo gaming.

Solosaurus A promising new podcast dedicated to solo gaming. According to the tagline: "If your opportunities to play games with others are all but extinct, this is the show for you."

YouTube Channels

Ant Lab Games On this channel, Anthony and Frances do excellent playthroughs of board games, including upcoming Kickstarter projects. The channel features a variety of games, not all of which are solo, but tune in for excellent content and for very helpful playthroughs of solo and co-op board games.

Black Belt Gaming Solo playthroughs from Robert, an American martial arts expert and English teacher who lives in Japan.

Boardgames and Bourbon Glenn Flaherty covers a variety of games and frequently talks about solo gaming. Check him out if you enjoy board games, dry wit, and brutal honesty.

Catweazle Just a funny guy doing board game playthroughs because he likes to. I really enjoy watching Catweazle because his solo playthroughs are so relaxed and entertaining.

Doug Herring (aka dougmysticeye) Check out this channel for excellent playthroughs, with good setup demonstrations as well. Whether you're interested in a hot new game or in a solo gaming classic, it is entirely possible that you'll find it on this channel.

The Elemeeple She has stopped making videos due to illness and stress—a huge bummer. But there are some good videos on here from a solo perspective.

FushigiTV It's been a while since the last update, but there are some cool war game playthroughs on here.

Geek Gamers I really like this channel. It focuses on solo and solo-friendly games, but often showcases games that are a bit off the beaten path. I have learned about some good PnP and out of print games from this channel, and there are also videos about making wargaming more accessible.

Gray Board Gamer Another channel with a lot of solo playthroughs. GBG allows users to help determine his content, so if you want your voice heard on a "community controlled" channel, check him out!

Hans Solo Board Gaming Hans Solo creates instructional videos designed to help with setups and rule changes for solo variants of multiplayer games. If you want to know how to play Splendor solo, Hans Solo is your man.

Heavy Lifting By Myself Hasn't updated in a while, but there are some playthroughs of longer, heavier games on this channel.

jPlay For more solo board game playthroughs with strong introductory rules explanations, you can't go wrong with jPlay. He is both highly active now and has an extensive back catalogue. He also covers a wide range of games, so you are bound to find something you like.

marcowargamer This is a great channel for reviews of solo-playable war games, but also a variety of other games. Marco's love for games is deep, he plays a lot of stuff, and his comments are always insightful and worth attention.

One Stop Co-Op Shop Check this channel out for full playthroughs of solo and cooperative board games. This channel also has some fun Top 10 videos and the occasional sweet giveaway.

Ones Upon a Game A YouTube channel dedicated mostly to solo gaming—with a good name, too!

Paul Carden A YouTuber whose channel is dedicated to solo gaming. He does some interesting stuff, like solo roleplaying using a variety of sources to generate storylines and simulate a DM.

Paul Darcy Paul Darcy provides yet another treasure trove of solo board game playthroughs, along with solid explanations of rules and helpful in-game commentary. I have learned to play more than one game from him!

Ricky Royal For me, this is THE original solo board game YouTube channel. The official name is Box of Delights, but Ricky Royal is the name I associate with the man who taught me to play Mage Knight and Robinson Crusoe. For super mellow yet joyful playthroughs of solo games, you still can't do better.

Robert Oren Robert Oren's YouTube channel features a variety of board gaming content. In addition to miniature painting tutorials and reviews, he also features some fun solo playthroughs! This channel also has a particularly friendly and active community.

Rolling Solo This channel is dedicated to taking viewers through the entire experience of a solo game, from unboxing to learning the rules to playing it through for the first time. Adam Smith is impressively prolific, so you will always have something fresh to watch.

Shiny Happy Meeples A fun gaming channel with an increasing focus on solo games that features unboxings, Kickstarter previews, and playthroughs.

Single Handed Warfare The channel has been quiet for a while, but there are a bunch of solo wargame playthroughs on here!

Slickerdrips This is a great YouTube channel packed with playthroughs and Kickstarter previews. Not all of the games he plays are solo, but several are. What I like best about the channel is Tom's enthusiasm—it's infectious, and he's the kind of guy who can make you want to play just about anything.

Small Robot On this channel, you will find videos on topics from miniature painting to Kickstarter previews. There are also videos about solo gaming, so enjoy!

Solo McLaughlin This channel name is hilarious, and Solo McLaughlin has produced several relaxing and enjoyable playthroughs of solo games. Her videos are tremendously enjoyable to watch because you can really tell she's having a good time, and she does a great job of sharing her thoughts on strategy with you throughout the game. Definitely give her a watch.